The present invention relates to boat hooks for the purpose of providing an improved arrangement for positioning an end loop of a boat line around a piling, cleat, or other fixed object.
In the hands of a capable captain, a boat traveling at moderate speeds in open water is considered to be relatively safe from damage. However, as a boat approaches a dock or slip, the boat will lose a great deal of maneuverability since water flow past the boat rudders is greatly reduced. During this time, the boat is at a high risk of damage should wind, waves or current cause undirected movement of the boat. For this reason, it is critical that the boat is secured to a fixed object as quickly as possible.
By way of illustration, a common means for securing a boat is by attachment to a piling. A piling is typically a large wood or cement column embedded in the earth beneath the water body. A free end of a line is formed into a loop and placed around the piling, with the opposite end secured to the boat. A problem, which this invention addresses, is the difficulty in placing the looped end of the line around the piling. Some boaters attempt to throw the loop, lasso-style, while others rely on a second crew member for assistance. Still other boaters employ a line handling device to place the looped end of the mooring line around a piling or cleat. Unfortunately, current line handling devices have many shortcomings.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,685 discloses a line handling device designed to secure a mooring line to a piling. The device uses a slotted circle to lower a loop of line around a piling. Unfortunately, this device is not adjustable and, therefore, only works on pilings which fit within its preset dimensions.
Some line handling devices, like U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,539 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,748, were designed with large frames to accommodate pilings of various sizes. These line handling devices were found to work with a wide variety of pilings, but they also created new problems: they were hard to store and required two-handed control of the device. This two-handed line handling operation thereby reduced the boater's ability to use his or her hands to control the boat during docking.
Accordingly, one-handed line handling devices were developed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,181 discloses a line handling device which places line-stiffening members onto the looped end of a mooring line. This device allows one-handed placement of a line, but poses preparation problems. For example, based on weather or water currents, different numbers of mooring lines may be required during different docking sessions.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a boat hook and line handling device that may be quickly, conveniently, and effectively used to accommodate a variety of dock pilings or cleats, and should also be is easy to store.